Some families are happy for their child's Lessons to be recorded but don't want the recording shared, and some don't want them recorded at all. Bobbin keeps two separate choices for each Student to cover this. If you collect consent through Bobbin, you can also add Students who are still waiting for consent and email their Clients to ask for it.
Consent settings
Go to Organization > Settings > Lessons and find the Consent section. It has one main switch and two settings underneath it. They work together, so it's worth reading all three before changing anything.
Honor recording consent opt-outs
This is the main switch. It decides whether Bobbin pays attention to consent at all.
On: Bobbin respects each Student's recording and sharing choices.
Off: every Lesson is recorded and shared as normal, whatever anyone has chosen. A Student's profile shows a warning if they've opted out while it's off.
Turning it off asks you to confirm first, because recordings hidden by an opt-out become visible again. The two settings below only matter while this switch is on.
We collect recording consent outside Bobbin
This is for companies that already collect consent elsewhere, for example in their sign-up forms. It's off by default.
On: Bobbin assumes everyone has consented. Every Student counts as consented unless consent is withdrawn on their profile, and Bobbin never sends consent requests. On the Student's Lesson recording card, the choice shows as Recorded or Opted out.
Off: Bobbin keeps track of consent itself. Each Student shows Consented, Consent needed or Consent withdrawn, and a Student who hasn't consented isn't recorded until a Client or Administrator clicks Give consent.
New students start with recording consent given
This only appears while We collect recording consent outside Bobbin is off, because that's the only time Bobbin needs to know where a new Student starts. It's on by default.
It decides whether the Recording consent already given box on the Add student form starts ticked:
On: the box starts ticked, so new Students are added as consented and their Lessons are recorded straight away.
Off: the box starts unticked, so new Students are added as Consent needed. Bobbin emails their Clients a consent request, and their Lessons aren't recorded until a Client or Administrator gives consent.
This only sets where the box starts. Whoever adds a Student can still tick or untick it for that Student.
Starting every Student without consent
If you want Students to start without recording consent until their family agrees, set the three settings like this:
Honor recording consent opt-outs: on
We collect recording consent outside Bobbin: off
New students start with recording consent given: off
A few things to know with this set up:
It applies to Students you add one at a time. Students added by spreadsheet import always start with consent given, whatever this setting says.
It doesn't change Students already in Bobbin. They keep the consent they have. To stop recording an existing Student, click Withdraw consent on their profile. This shows them as Consent withdrawn and hides their past recordings.
The box can still be ticked. Anyone adding a Student can tick Recording consent already given if the family has already agreed.
Emailing a consent request
For a Student who's waiting for consent, or whose consent was withdrawn, open their profile and click Email a consent request on the Lesson recording card. Bobbin emails the Student's Clients asking them to give consent.
You can send up to 3 requests per Student every 24 hours. After that, try again later or give consent on the family's behalf.
Clients who haven't accepted their invite to Bobbin yet don't get the request. Bobbin tells you if anyone was left out. See Inviting people to Bobbin.
A Student's recording choices
Both choices are on the Lesson recording card on the Student's profile. They can be changed by an Administrator or by a Client linked to that Student. Tutors and Students can see them but can't change them.
Can be recorded
When consent is collected in Bobbin, this shows Consented, Consent needed or Consent withdrawn:
Click Withdraw consent and confirm, and that Student's Lessons aren't recorded. Any existing recordings, transcripts and chapters of their Lessons are hidden from everyone in Bobbin, Administrators included.
Click Give consent to record them again, or to give consent for a Student who's waiting for it.
If We collect recording consent outside Bobbin is on, the same choice shows as Recorded or Opted out, with Opt out of recording and Opt back in.
Recordings can be shared
Click Stop sharing and confirm, and Lessons are still recorded, but only Administrators and the Lesson's Tutors can see the recordings, transcripts and chapters. Clients and Students can't, and the Lesson drops out of their recordings library. Use Share again to undo this.
The card shows the current state of each choice and the date it last changed. On the Students list, a Student waiting for consent shows Recording consent needed, and one who's withdrawn it shows Opted out of recording.
What you'll see on Lessons
A Lesson with a Student who doesn't have recording consent shows that this is why there's no recording or summary.
If a Student loses consent while one of their Lessons is being recorded, that Lesson's recording isn't transcribed or processed either.
If consent is given again
Giving consent doesn't process an earlier recording by itself. To do that, open the Lesson and use Regenerate insights for an online Lesson, or Retry on the recording for an in-person Lesson. This only works while the recording still exists, not once it's been deleted under your recording retention period.
Students at more than one agency
Consent is set separately for each agency a Student is with. A Tutor who works for several agencies sees each agency's choice for that Student.
Exporting a Student's data
If a Student or their parent asks for a copy of their data, an export from Organization > Settings > Data export includes the Student's own recordings and transcripts, even if they've opted out. Lessons where a different Student opted out are still left out of the export.
Note: Withdrawing consent doesn't remove AI-written content that already exists, such as Lesson summaries, insights and Progress Reports created before the opt-out.